BAGWORM MOTHS OF THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE HQ 



Male genitalia. — (Fig. 292.) Valves with piilvilli moderately 

 developed. Aedeagiis smoothly curved. 



Female. — Length 24-30 mm. As described for genus. 



Female genitalia. — (Fig. 313.) 



Case.— (Figs. 106-109.) Length 60-70 mm.; diameter 13-20 mm. 

 General appearance quite variable, depending upon particular host 

 plant; basic architecture rather constant. When small twigs are in- 

 corporated into structure, these consistently are placed transversally in 

 circular pattern around case; rarely is silk used externally; on Acacia 

 thin sheet of greyish silk may be present; on oak, bag usually heavily 

 covered with projecting leaf fragments; on mangrove, sacks may be 

 largely bare, with just few attached leaves. 



Type.— In the United States National Museum. 



Type locality. — Texas. 



Recorded hosts. — "Cupressaceae: cypress [?Cupressus sp.]; Ac- 

 eraceae: Acer negundo L. ; Fabaceae: catsclaw [? Acacia greggii A. 

 Gray]; Fagaceae: live oak [Querciis sp.]; Myricaceae: bayberry 

 [Myrica sp.]; Platanaceae: Platanus occidentalis L. ; Rosaceae: 

 Rosa sp.; Ulmaceae: Celtis sp." (Jones, 1928). "Cupressaceae: 

 Juniperus sp.; Pinaceae: Pinus sp.; Arecaceae: palm[?]; Liliaceae: 

 Smilax sp.; Annonaceae: Annona glabra L. ; Fabaceae: Acacia 

 farnesiana (L.) Willd., Acacia contorta DC, Acacia sp., Bobinia sp.; 

 Hamamelidaceae: Liquidambar styracifiua L. ; Rhizophoraceae: Bhi- 

 zophora mangle L.; Salicaceae: Salix sp.; wSapindaceae: Aesculus sp.; 

 Solanaceae: Solanum pseudo-capsicum L." (from specimen labels). 



Distribution. — (Map 12.) Occurs over a great part of the Atlantic 

 Plain from North Carolina to Texas. 



Discussion. — In southern Florida occurs a form of this moth that 

 is paler in color than most specimens from other parts of the range. 

 This distinction is not very definite, however, for specimens as far 

 south as Everglades, Florida, show intermediate coloring and occur 

 occasionally as dark as the other extreme of this species. This pattern 

 of variation should not be given nomenclatural recognition ; it is men- 

 tioned only as a noticeable, regional variation of the moth. 



In regard to wing size and outline, Oiketicus abbotii is remarkably 

 uniform throughout its range in the United States. Probably the 

 species extends farther south into Cuba and perhaps other West 

 Indian Islands, but this cannot be confirmed. Specimens from this 

 area most closely resembling 0. abbotii are represented by a few moths 

 from Jamaica. In general, through the West Indies, there seems to be 

 a gradation of forms from 0. abbotii to 0. kirbyi. To consider these 

 species as races of a single species, however, is still premature. When 

 more information, especially evidence of hybridization of these two 



